


Ghost Light

by FuseboxMusebox



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Theatre, Business, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Family, Historical References, Loss of Parent(s), Musical References, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Performing Arts, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:27:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29804283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuseboxMusebox/pseuds/FuseboxMusebox
Summary: “Well, picture this: The curtain falls, we fade to black and the audience goes home. All the lights go out except for one. Sure... the show might be over, but there's always a chance the theatre will come alive again.”Maddison Lennox has two passions. A love for the theatre and a hatred for Lucas Koh. Two worlds collide when the Koh family put everything she loves in jeopardy. Can a significant part of her town's history be saved, or will the ghost light be switched off forever?
Relationships: Lucas Koh/Main Character (Love Island), Lucas Koh/Original Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 17





	1. Times Are Hard for Dreamers

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp. Here's another self-indulgent AU that nobody asked for. Shout-out to my Beta, Audrey (ThoracicOrchid) for being both the angel and devil on my shoulder at the same time.
> 
> Chapter title is from Amélie.

“I think that’s a brilliant idea, Mr. Koh.” Businessman, Simon Wallace said, forever supporting the Mayor of the market town. 

_Yeah. A great idea if you want to piss off a lot of people._ Chul Koh’s son thought to himself as he sat at the table of a significantly large number of Hartford’s upper-class members. All people with money who only insisted on making more. There wasn’t much to be done, Lucas knew. Once his father had his mind set on something, he wouldn’t go back on it. There was nothing neither he nor his mother could do about it, no matter how much they may have wanted to. So Lucas did what he always did. He kept quiet and didn’t say a word. 

Thankfully he didn’t have to. Someone else piped up from the back of the room. “Excuse me, Mr. Koh,” they started politely. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Are you not worried about what everyone will say? This building is an important part of our town’s heritage.” 

Vague mutters could be heard around the room as a variety of the projects’ investors considered what was just said. And Lucas knew they had a point, too. This project wasn’t going to be an easy one. Hartford’s population were going to fight back and they were going to fight back hard. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted to someone he hadn’t thought about in a long time. It almost caught him off guard, but he couldn’t help wondering what she would think about all of this if she were here. 

Lucas was pulled back into the room as his father tried to ease the investors’ minds. “I can assure you, the members of Hartford will understand why this project is necessary. They’re going to gain a lot from this, after all.” 

_And lose a lot more._ Lucas thought, again. 

**********

In a village on the outskirts of where the business meeting took place a few days prior, there was an elderly lady who couldn’t believe what she was seeing. And it wasn’t just because her eyesight had become much poorer in her old age. Having gotten hold of the newspaper from the next town over, she stared at the copy of _The Hartford Journal_ in complete disbelief. 

Disbelief that very quickly turned into anger as she read further down the page.

_So far, it is unclear of when the changes will be taking place but the Mayor has insisted that it will be sooner rather than later, stating: “The building is simply standing there. No use is being made out of it and no money is being earned either. We’ve made the decision to turn it into something much more useful. Instead of lingering on the past, Hartford should start looking ahead and thinking about the future.”_

The woman scoffed at the words written on the page, catching the attention of her granddaughter. 

“Everything alright, Nana?” 

“Of course, dear. Just can't believe the nerve of some businessmen.”

**********

In a small apartment on the far side of West London, Maddison Lennox was staring at her phone, open-mouthed in pure shock. An old friend that she hadn't spoken to in a while had messaged her with a link. A link to an article that he thought she might want to see, and now Maddie didn’t know what to do or say. 

There, on her screen, was an article from _The Hartford Journal_ written by Hope Biala. The headline was certainly attention-grabbing; Maddie was fairly sure her heart had stopped. 

**_Spotlight Theatre to be Replaced by New Business Building_ **

As far as Maddie knew, there wasn't a distinct feeling that came from reading about this. It was a mixture of shock, hurt, sadness and a very prominent feeling of anger. She knew whose decision this was and she also knew that when the shock wore off, she wouldn't be surprised. It took her five minutes of staring at her phone screen and another five minutes of thinking, to come to a snap decision. Jumping up from her sofa and surprising her flatmates, she ran into her room at an alarmingly fast pace. 

“Mads?” The voice of her flatmate, Chelsea sounded through her door. “You okay?”

Maddie couldn’t even come up with a coherent response. She’d pulled the suitcase out from under her bed and began throwing everything that she could into it. Chelsea didn’t know what to make of her friend’s actions and cautiously pushed the door open, peeking her head through.

“Seriously, what are you doing?” She asked. 

Her other roommate, Tim came and stood behind Chelsea. “Are you going somewhere? Oooh, is this a last minute group road trip?”

“Oh my god, how fun! I'll go and make a playlist!” Chelsea said, enthusiastically. 

Maddie looked up from her packing, a sort of dazed look on her face, still. “Guys, no. I'm going home. To my dad's.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah did something happen? Or have you just lost your mind?” 

“Yo this is pretty crazy, now you mention it, Chels.”

“Right? Maybe she needs help?” 

Maddie almost smiled at her friends’ exchange. Both of them had way too much energy and usually she was just as bad. But right now, she was too upset. “I’m fine but I need to see what’s going on.”

Without another word, she tossed her phone to her roommates with the article still up. Suddenly everything made sense. Maddie adored her home town and she frequently talked about the Spotlight Theatre and how much she loved performing there when she was growing up. And now apparently they were tearing the place down to make room for a business building - an office space that various different business associates and marketing professionals could use. It was understandable why she was upset and wanted to get home to see what was going on. 

But it was Tim that spoke next, being surprisingly realistic. “I hate to break it to you, babe but…” He started and then hesitated. “You have an audition next week. Are you planning on coming back?” 

Maddie was between shows right now. A rough time for everybody in the entertainment business and this audition was really important. Not only for money purposes but also for her career. 

Maddie paused her packing and turned to Chelsea and Tim with a grimace on her face. “Honestly, I really don’t know if I’ll make it back in time. I just want to see what’s going on and if there’s anything I can do to help.” And by help, she meant, prevent it from happening entirely. 

“Are you serious?”

“No, you have got to be kidding. Is she for real, Tim?”

“She can’t be. Are you for real?” 

Maddie's lips twitched again but she shrugged. Chelsea walked further into the room and placed her hands on her shoulders. “You can’t bail on this. Do you seriously want _Cherry Crawford_ to get the part? It's always you two against one another and I'm pretty sure she's not in a show right now, either. Meaning she will also have an audition.” 

Maddie sighed in exasperation at Chelsea's panicked tone. “Some things are more important than my rivalry with Cherry Crawford, okay?” 

And that was the end of that conversation. 

**********

Maddie's train journey home the following day went as smoothly as it could when she finally managed to get out of King's Cross Station. The 55 minute delay was a piss-take but should she really have been that surprised? She'd been in London for nearly seven years since she left for university and the transport only seemed to get worse in that time. 

If you were to ask her friends and family outside of London, they would say that Maddison Lennox was "living the dream." But whether or not that was true continued to be a grey area. Maddie was grateful for every opportunity that came her way and working on the West End wasn't easy. It wasn't always glamorous and it was filled with rude directors and bitchy castmates and an awful lot of bartending and waitressing when you weren't working on a show. The money wasn't great and the competition was exhausting. But it was what she wanted to do. Maddie had a difficult time growing up seeing herself doing anything except performing. That _was_ her dream. Of course, the reality wasn't as great as everyone seemed to think it was, but she was doing alright for herself and she loved what she did. That was all that mattered. 

But Maddie never realised how much she missed home until she actually went back. She visited as often as she could but the industry didn't allow much time for social visits. This last minute trip was an impulsive decision that she wouldn't have made under any other circumstances. She just hoped that her dad and brother would be perfectly fine with it, especially as she didn't really know how long she'd be staying. Maddie knew she was always welcome but there was always that feeling that she was intruding after being away for a while. Which was why she stood outside the door to their house for a long time trying to decide whether she should knock or just walk in. The latter of which was pointless to think about after the door turned out to be locked, anyway. 

Instead of using the key she had, she knocked on the door and waited, smiling to herself as she heard the sound of her dad's dog scuffing around excitedly and barking. It was a running joke in the family that Richard and Matthew Lennox had gotten the Border Collie, Sally, when Maddie decided not to return home after university, four years ago. 

Suddenly the door opened and she was met with her brother's shocked face. 

“Surprise?” She said with an awkward smile. 

Matt, forever living in annoying-older-brother mode, simply rolled his eyes and went to shut the door in her face. Maddie, thankfully, had quick reflexes and was able to interfere. 

“Let me in, you wanker.” 

“What's the password?” 

“Are you five? Open the door.”

As always, Matt had the upper hand and Maddie had made the mistake of putting her weight on the door and he was doing the same on the other side. Until he wasn't. 

Matt very quickly moved away, causing the door to fly open and Maddie stumbled in, nearly falling over. Her brother stood there laughing like a maniac and it was only made worse when she whacked him on the arm. 

“Are you ever gonna stop falling for that?” He said through his laughter. 

It was Maddie's turn to roll her eyes. “Are you ever gonna stop being a dick?” 

Instead of answering, Matt leaned around her, pulled her suitcase inside the house and shut the door. “See. I'm not that bad.”

“Gee, thanks.” She snorted lightly. “That makes up for twenty-five years worth of your shit.” 

“You're welcome. Now what are you doing here?” 

_Charming._

**********

“I still don't understand why you didn't tell us you were coming.”

After her brother had (finally) let her in, the two had ventured into the living room where Maddie got attacked with affection, not only from the dog, but her dad as well. Now everyone had settled down and they’d spread themselves out across the living room. Maddie was sharing the two-seater sofa with Sally, who had her soft, fluffy head resting in her lap, and Richard and Matt had taken up the other sofa. The familiarity of the cosy living room was nice and Maddie found herself relaxing slightly. Working in theatre was great but sometimes it felt like there was no time to stop and breathe, let alone think. 

“I told you,” Maddie said, absentmindedly stroking Sally’s head. “I decided last night. There wasn’t much time to get in touch.” 

“Yes, but why? Not that we’re not happy to see you or anything.” Richard asked, again. 

“ _Well…_ ” Maddie lobbed a sofa cushion in Matt’s general direction after hearing him mutter in response to what their dad had said.

“I just wanted to find out what was going on.” She shrugged. “Were either of you going to tell me about the Spotlight by the way? I had to find out from Bobby McKenzie.” 

“I did tell your brother to send you the article.” Richard commented. Maddie glared at him.

“What?” He asked. “I forgot. I do have a life, you know.” 

“Says the twenty-seven year old still living at home.” She snarked. 

“Fuck off.” 

“Alright you two.” Their dad interrupted before it could escalate any further. The three of them were a really close-knit family but Richard would be the first to say that his kids really got on his nerves sometimes. There was never a dull moment when Matthew and Maddison were living under the same roof. 

Richard turned to his daughter with a serious expression and she knew where this was going before he started. “I'm assuming you know who's involved in this project?” 

She did. And she wasn't looking forward to potentially opening those old wounds again. But she had to do what she had to do. 

She nodded at her father. “I do, but you know how much this means to me. I can't just sit back and let it happen. If there's anything I can do then I'll do it.”

Richard _did_ know that. That was the thing about his daughter. She had a fiery determination that could have scared anybody away. It was how she got to be where she was today and he loved that about her. But he was also worried. Maddison was too much like her mother for her own good. Which meant he knew she was more than willing to put herself in the crossfire of this project to stop it from happening. 

“I know.” He said softly. “Just be careful, Mads.” 

**********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _They say times are hard for dreamers,  
>  And who knows?  
> Maybe they are,   
> People seem stuck or lost at sea.   
> And I might be a dreamer but it's gotten me this far,   
> And that is far enough for me _


	2. What Is This Feeling?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying a thing with this fic where I update it weekly. So far, so good but we'll see how it goes. Once again, thanks for reading and thank you to ThoracicOrchid for being my Beta and putting up with my shit. 
> 
> Chapter title is, of course, from Wicked.

“Hold on, where are you going now?” Matt asked later that afternoon. They'd finished the family catch-up and now Maddie was getting ready to make a start on what she came there to do. 

“To Spotlight. Obviously. I'm doing some investigating.”

Richard and Matthew had explained to her that there wasn't much they could with the building until they had the go ahead on the plans. But they were in the process of clearing the place out. The thought of an empty Spotlight Theatre brought a wave of sadness over her before she could stop it. It was an awful situation and to see something that meant so much to her suddenly become derelict was almost too much. 

“And then after that?” Matthew prodded. Contrary to what she argued constantly, her brother wasn't an idiot and he knew exactly who she needed to go and see in order to discuss the issue. She was dreading it of course but had to pretend she wasn't for the sake of her purpose. 

“I don't know.” She said, vaguely. “Wander around town. See some people. You know. The usual.”

He gave her a scrutinising look but ultimately let it go. She'd talk to him if she needed to. At the end of the day, Maddie was his sister and as much as his main purpose in life was to annoy the living shit out of her, he still cared. If she wanted to entangle herself into this situation then he wouldn't stop her, but it was going to be rough for everyone. 

“Be back by dinner.” He gave in with a shrug. 

With a roll of her eyes, Maddie grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Not before throwing a sarcastic “yes, dad.” over her shoulder. 

**********

Being back was so surreal to Maddie. It was the late spring, moving into the summer and the weather was certainly reflecting that. She always liked the way Hartford looked in the summer. Everyone out and about, kids having fun, the sun shining and lighting up the old buildings and giving them a little bit of life again. It was always nice.

As she made her way to the town centre where the theatre stood, she became even more aware of how much she missed it. The way everyone stopped to say hello even if they didn't necessarily know her. The ones that did seemed surprised to see her but greeted her enthusiastically, still. The town always had such a friendly atmosphere and a certain charm to it that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else, least of all London. 

Maddie stopped short when she reached the theatre. Her dad and brother were correct in saying they were clearing the place out. It looked like they were currently working through the prop cupboard. It made her snicker to think that would be a feat in itself, if it was anything like it was when Maddie was there. Thinking back, she remembered how much of a mess it was and how much organising everyone, including herself, had done to try and sort it out to no avail at all. The memory made her smile sadly. One problem with coming back home was that she was constantly overwhelmed with nostalgia. And this theatre was a part of home. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts as a voice sounded behind her. “Maddison?” 

Maddie turned around from looking at the old building and the group that were bringing things out of it and was met with the surprised face of her old dance teacher. 

“Mrs. Taylor!” She greeted, equally as surprised but also happy. 

Alison Taylor had been living and working in the town for decades and taught Maddie everything she knew now about all kinds of dance - Maddie owed it all to her. 

“What are you doing home, sweetheart? Aren't you supposed to be livening up the London stages?” She asked, pulling Maddie into a warm and welcoming hug. 

“I'm not doing a show right now but I came back because of…” She trailed off, looking at everything going on around her. “All of this.” 

Alison hugged her again. “Oh, Maddie it's been so awful. They're talking about tearing the place down. You know how much it means to everybody here. Even your mother would have been heartbroken.”

That was definitely true. Maddie's mother, though not a performer, herself, was a huge patron and supporter of the arts in Hartford. She dedicated so much time volunteering at the Spotlight and it was definitely something that influenced Maddie's desire to work in that field. One of the many influences at least. Maddie would be the first to say there was a lot that encouraged her to try. 

“I'm here to see what I can do.” She said to Alison. “And I know it might seem futile given who's pulling the strings but if there's anything I can do to help please let me know.”

“You're a gem, Maddie. We'll definitely let you know. It's easier for me because I'm a self-employed dance teacher but the theatre staff…” Alison trailed off and Maddie visibly grimaced. The town was taking a hit from this. 

“How are you guys doing the dance shows now?” 

“Talia's been in contact with a couple of the schools and they said we can organise to use their auditoriums.”

That made sense. Even _they'd_ have to use their own auditoriums now. As long as Maddie could remember, all school productions were done at the Spotlight, alongside pantomimes, dance shows, showcases, productions from a variety of amateur theatre groups. Maddie couldn't even begin to imagine the loss everyone was feeling right now. She was feeling it herself and it wasn't something she was really a part of anymore. 

“I'm going to have to get back but please don't hesitate to come by the studio.” Alison said, placing a comforting hand on Maddie's arm. “I'm sure the kids would love to hear about the life of a West End performer.”

Maddie scoffed lightly. “Please, this town is rich with the history of Elizabeth Harley. I'm sure my experiences so far pale in comparison to hers.”

“Oh don't be so hard on yourself. You were born for the stage.”

Maddie rolled her eyes fondly as her old dance teacher walked away and she turned back to look at the building with a gloomy expression. Something had to be done about this. The Spotlight Theatre was such a crucial part of Hartford's heritage, not to mention the community. Watching items that she had once messed around with and performed with being cleared from their home… It was heartbreaking. And Maddie was beginning to get pissed off. She hadn't had much time to process it between receiving the article from Bobby the night before and travelling over that morning. But standing in front of something that was so important to her and everyone in the town, had been such a strange reality check. She knew this needed to be stopped but now she was determined. 

As much as she didn't want to, as much as she was dreading seeing him again, Maddie knew exactly who she needed to have a word with. 

**********

Maddison had found that the beauty of live performance was that anything could go wrong at any given moment. It was nerve-wracking. So the problem she was having right now, had her wondering why she could get on stage in front of thousands of people to do a live performance, but why the hell she couldn't knock on the door she was standing in front of. 

To her, it made no logical sense. Deep down she knew why. She hadn’t spoken to him properly in years, only speaking _of_ him to friends and family. They’d also only seen each other in passing when Maddison returned home for whatever reason - holidays, birthdays etc. The reality of the situation was they had a tendency to avoid each other like the plague, and with good reason. But she couldn’t do that right now. What she really needed to do was get a grip because there was a lot more at stake here than her own personal issues. So why couldn’t she just lift her hand and knock on the door? 

In all honesty, she was about to give up, walk away and come back a little bit later, when the door opened in front of her. That had to look awkward. Especially as she was now gaping at the woman who had answered the door. The woman who was also staring at her expectantly, as if she should start talking. Which she probably should. 

_Fucking hell, Maddie, get it together._ “Oh... um hi. Sorry to bother you, I’m looking for Lucas Koh?” _Smooth._

The woman was looking her up and down as if trying to determine if she was a threat or not. Which confused Maddie to no end considering she didn’t even know anything about this woman except for the fact that she was stunning. Tall, long straight dark hair, hazel eyes, looking very professional in her business-esque suit and natural makeup. A stark contrast to Maddie’s own makeup and curled hair. Her summer dress and converse were definitely not what you would call professional attire, either. 

“Who’s asking?” The woman said, a bitchy and defensive tone to her voice. 

_Alright then._ Maddie raised an eyebrow. She was prepared to be nice despite how these kinds of people could be - all snooty and above everyone else. But then this woman went and opened her mouth and told Maddie everything she needed to know about the kind of person she was dealing with. 

“Nobody important, apparently.” She said, eyebrows still raised. “And you are…?” 

The woman scowled at her as if she should know exactly who she was. “Oh you don’t know? I’m Blake Reynolds.” 

Maddie stared blankly and waited for her to continue. It was a small town but it wasn’t like every single person knew everyone. And she couldn't find time to keep up with _everything_ that went on while she was away. 

“I’m Lucas’ fiancée.” _Oh._

Well that wasn’t exactly what she was expecting to hear and judging by the smug look on Blake’s face, she let the surprise show. Being a professional actress meant that Maddie was able to contort her expression into one a little bit more neutral. She also tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach at that statement. It wasn’t like she made a lot of effort to even _think_ about Lucas these days so why was she even bothered? The more pressing question Maddie had was how she could wipe that smirk of this random woman’s face. Her expression shifted into one of sympathy. In other circumstances, she would have reached out and placed a hand on Blake’s arm, too but she didn’t think that would go down too well. 

“Oh really?” She asked, sadly. “I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.” 

Maddie could have snorted at the look on her face but managed to keep herself under control. 

“What do you want?” She all but demanded. 

Maddie rolled her eyes. She wasn’t even acting anymore, this woman was genuinely pissing her off and she really _could_ be a bitch when she wanted to be. 

“Not that it’s any of your business. Beverly, was it? But I really need to speak to him about something.” _Unfortunately._

“About what?” Blake pressed. 

_Oh for the love of-_

“Is everything alright, Blake?” Maddie was about ready to tell this girl where to stick it when she heard the voice behind her. _His_ voice. The same voice that once sent pleasant chills down her spine now sent a shudder instead. _Excellent timing,_ she thought. 

Turning around with a hand resting on her waist, Maddie met Lucas' frown with a sarcastic smile. “We're absolutely fine.”

“I wasn't asking you.” He said blankly, turning back to his supposed fiancée. “Are you okay?” 

“I'm fine.” Blake reassured him. “She was just leaving.”

Maddie huffed out a laugh after giving Blake a look. “I wasn't, actually. I would like to say it was nice to see you again but… you know how it is.”

“Uh-huh.” Lucas said vaguely, his eyes darting between Maddie and Blake like he was trying to piece something together. 

Other than that, she couldn't really get a read on him. He didn't seem all that surprised to see her which she thought was odd, but there was something in his posture that screamed he was feeling really tense. Maddie was hiding it but she felt exactly the same way. Coming to the conclusion that everything seemed fine, Lucas looked at Maddie and she looked at him. Both were wearing a similar guarded expression. She knew this would be hard but she didn’t quite realise how hard. 

“What are you doing here?” Lucas asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. 

“Pretty sure, you’ve worked that one out by now.” 

“Hmm.” 

Maddie nearly rolled her eyes again. “Still not a man of many words, I see.” 

Lucas didn’t say anything, only further solidifying her point. 

“Okay, obviously this is the last place I want to be.” Something indistinguishable flickered on Lucas’ face as she said that but she continued, anyway. “But believe it or not I actually need to speak to your father about something. So if you could do me a favour there, that’d be great.” 

By this point, Maddie wasn’t having fun anymore. She got some enjoyment out of being sarcastic to Lucas, and mocking Blake was entertaining, but the longer the three of them stood outside of the house in the wealthier side of Hartford, the more agitated she became.

“Look, I get why you’re here, Maddie, but you know it’s not as easy as that.” _Of course not._

He blatantly expected she’d come by because of this at some point, because Lucas Koh knew Maddison Lennox more than she’d care to admit. He knew that this project would get her fired up enough to try and interfere somehow. Interfering with Chul Koh’s plans was never a wise idea but he knew that she was aware of _that,_ too. Of course, she knew it was a tricky situation but she wasn’t going to sit back and watch while an important part of her hometown was completely demolished. 

Having enough of standing there when she had other places to be, Maddie nodded and began to walk away. “Then at least let him know there’s people around here that are going to make it even harder.” 

“Maddie.” He called after her. She turned back around and the sympathetic expression that had appeared on his face almost made her want to slap him. Especially with what came next. “You know there’s nothing I can do, right?” 

She smiled humourlessly at him, a feeling of pure dislike and anger shooting through her. But that wasn’t the only thing she felt. There was a familiar emotion of hurt that she thought she buried a long time ago when it came to him. An emotion that cracked at her chest and made her feel awful. 

“Yeah.” She nodded. “That’s always the same story with you isn’t it, Lucas?” 

With that final remark, she turned to make her way back into the town centre, aware of Lucas and Blake watching her as she went. 

**********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Every little trait, however small,  
>  Makes my very flesh begin to crawl,   
> With simple utter loathing,   
> There's a strange exhilaration,   
> In such total detestation_


End file.
